Research Lab Budgets Grew 18% This Year, Says Science and Medicine Group Survey


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Escalation of conflict destabilizes normal government and business operations. However the trend was growth in spending in Eastern Europe.

A new survey of scientists at global research laboratories finds that the median lab budget globally will increase by over eighty thousand dollars this year to accommodate inflation and new scientific project needs. The survey, Lab Budgets and Funding Sources Survey 2022, published by SDI, part of Science and Medicine Group, finds that budgets are impacted by increased costs as a result of inflation and supply chain constraints. North American lab budgets were nearly double the size of European budgets. Lab budgets among APAC respondents were much smaller than other regions.

The media annual global laboratory budget increased from $501,000 to $590,000. Government grants lead sources of fundings, followed by private foundations and biopharmaceutical company funding. Specific budget medians by region are in the report.

Survey respondents also describe what instruments and supplies they are using the budgets for. This is in the report.

To prepare the SDI Lab Budgets and Funding Sources Survey 2022, a survey was fielded between December and February in which 544 respondents were asked about their lab budgets and spending plans for 2021 and 2022. SDI surveyed respondents from North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific regions to describe spending habits for new instrumentation purchases, consumables, and spending on service-related activities. Detailed spending information was compiled for the following key technology categories: Chromatography, Laboratory Automation, Life Science, Mass Spectrometry, Materials Characterization, Molecular Spectrometry, and Surface Science. Respondents were also asked about funding sources, providing insights into funding trends.

The report thus has information on expected spending across a range of instrument categories.

The survey’s timing did not allow for specific questions about the situation in Ukraine. SDI’s report said the war could impact funding over the next few years, but near term growth is generally expected in lab budgets.

“Escalation of conflict destabilizes normal government and business operations. However the trend was growth in spending in Eastern Europe,” the report said.

SDI’s report is available at: https://strategic-directions.com/product/lab-budgets-and-funding-sources-survey-2022/

About Strategic Directions International

Strategic Directions International (SDi), part of Science and Medicine Group, is the leading business intelligence firm in the highly specialized field of analytical and life science instruments. Its client list includes virtually every major analytical instrumentation company in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Founded in 1981, the Los Angeles-based company has published hundreds of market reports and provided proprietary consulting services for a multitude of clients.

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